There\u2019s no specific marker for it on a trend map, but global flavour, mashups, handhelds, sharing plates and vegetarian\/vegan\/veg-centricity intersect in a sweet spot of opportunity for operators seeking to add excitement and differentiation to their menus. <\/p>\n
The opportunity comes from falafel, a spicy and popular Middle Eastern street-food fried fritter prepared with reconstituted ground dried chickpeas and sometimes fava beans. Falafel is a shape-shifter and a palate-pleaser suited to many spots on the menu in multiple dayparts. Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, unapologetically vegetarian and always satisfying, falafel also delivers craveable mouthfeel. In spite of being fried, it appeals to many younger diners who consider it to have a health halo because it\u2019s vegetarian. Nonetheless, it also beckons to dedicated meat-eaters as it is so adaptable and, with a bit of meat added to the mix, moves easily between vegetarian and carnivore worlds.<\/p>\n
\u201cFalafel has a reasonable food cost, it\u2019s easy to prepare and it can be the base of many flavour-forward applications,\u201d says Gordon Food Service\u00ae Corporate Consulting Chef Gerry Ludwig, CEC. \u201cIt appeals to millennials and Gen-Z diners who want meatless protein items, but one of the main reasons falafel is so popular is that it\u2019s so delicious.\u201d<\/p>\n
Finding ways to fit falafel into a menu is easy. Not sure if it will work for your customer base? Test it with specials and limited-time offers. Get diners addicted to the taste and it won\u2019t be hard to convince them to try falafel in many forms.<\/p>\n
Given its versatility and flavour, it\u2019s no surprise that falafel is finding its way onto more and more menus; dedicated falafel shops abound, especially in major cities. Don\u2019t worry that other operators have gotten a head start; the good news is that their efforts have made falafel familiar\u2014and that opens doors for you to put your own spin on it.<\/p>\n
Appetizers, small-plates, sharing-plates, salads.<\/strong> Shape falafel into into rustic, ovoids with somewhat squared off ends (this shape, versus round balls, maximizes the amount crispy crust area) for appetizers, shareable platters and salad toppers. <\/p>\n Sandwiches.<\/strong> Form falafel into golf-ball-size rounds or flattened patties; stuff them into pita bread or shape falafel into cylinders for flatbread wraps. Add lettuce, tomatoes, tahini and hummus, or Greek yogurt infused with cayenne pepper and chopped fresh mint. Stuff falafel balls with feta cheese and serve with shakshuka sauce on flatbreads such as naan or paratha.<\/p>\n Falafel burgers\/sliders.<\/strong> Form falafel into thick, flattened patties for veggie or vegan burgers. Or, for the best of both worlds, go truly veg-centric and use small amounts of meat\u2014e.g., small bits of diced, cooked pork belly blended with the falafel, or top cooked falafel burgers with pulled pork or shaved lamb. Or, menu a trio of mini-burgers for a falafel slider sampler.<\/p>\n Falafel \u201csteaks.\u201d<\/strong> Form falafel into generous-size patties for a vegetarian entr\u00e9e topped with lightly saut\u00e9ed or roasted seasonal vegetables and piquant sauces.<\/p>\n Global mashups.<\/strong> Think outside the classic falafel spicebox\u2014onion, garlic, parsley and cumin\u2014and embrace the global-mashup trend. Coat falafel balls with sesame seeds, fry and then finish with a Korean BBQ sauce glaze. Or menu a falafel schnitzel topped with craft-beer sauerkraut. There\u2019s practically no limit to the ways you can menu your own signature falafel mashups, so use your imagination. <\/p>\n Breakfast.<\/strong> Add falafel mix to waffle batter for a savoury, buzz-generating eye-opener.<\/p>\n Breadings.<\/strong> Give everything fried\u2014from french fries to chicken\u2014a falafel touch. Use the standard breading procedure, suggests Gordon Food Service Corporate Test-Kitchen Chef Ed Westerlund, CEC: Dredge the items to be breaded into flour, then egg wash and then the falafel mix, shaking off excess before placing into a heated 350\u00b0F deep-fryer to cook.<\/p>\n The bottom line? Falafel, like burgers, tacos and other street-friendly comfort food, is popular because it’s simple, delicious and open to infinite variations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This spicy, Middle Eastern fried fritter appeals to many diners and fits a wide variety of menu spaces. There\u2019s no specific marker for it on a trend map, but global flavour, mashups, handhelds, sharing plates and vegetarian\/vegan\/veg-centricity intersect in a sweet spot of opportunity for operators seeking to add excitement and differentiation to their menus. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":4604,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[122,68,123,112,69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25854","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-catering-small-business","category-culinary-ideas","category-hotels-hospitality","category-restaurant-bars","category-running-your-business"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n